Secret Avengers 2027
by QualityMX
Summary: Marvel AU set 20 years in the future. The Secret Avengers are a covert team of mutants and metahumans. Though unofficially sanctioned by Tony Stark and aided by a rogue faction of SHIELD, their presence has not been made public. Feedback is welcome!
1. Issue 1

**Secret Avengers 2027 **

Written by QualityMx, based on the concepts of "Marvel 2027" by nightvision1990

**-Issue #1–**

**New York City**

How long had it been? Four years? She had tried comforting him at his grandmother's funeral. He remembered her touch and the beauty in her tears. The day that Faith was placed into the ground, the head of her casket facing Mecca, he somehow knew that Kate Bishop was also mourning the death of what they had once been. Young Avengers, heroes, naive lovers. Now she lay in a hospital bed; comatose, beyond comfort, yet as beautiful as ever.

Elijah Bradley sat by her bedside. A voyeuristic sunset watched as he took her hand, but felt no warmth in her skin. The orange-purple sky was made pale by a thick glass window, though the undying sounds of the highway still managed to creep in. He kissed her above the wrist, hoping it would coax life into her strong body. It took him nearly two minutes to allow any words to follow.

"Don't you wish it could be like it was twenty years ago, Kate? I do sometimes. Learning the ropes, disobeying Cap…"

His voice trailed off. Faith's funeral was the last time he'd spoken to Rogers as well.

"Pretending that we were heroes, that we loved each other. Well, you were the hero. Joining Cap's Avengers with Cassie, I was real proud of you both."

He smartened her delicate black hair, unsure of what else to say. He didn't really consider himself an emotional person, not until this had happened.

"You probably loved Tommy, I'm sure that you did," he conceded. "And he's the reason this happened to you. I just want you to know that I won't use you as an excuse to take revenge. You wouldn't want that."

Finally letting go of her hand, he got up and began to walk out. Before reaching the doorway, he looked back. "Sorry, for everything."

He left her there with the sunset. His wife Gina was waiting in the lobby in a blue sundress and a pair of platform court shoes. As they left the hospital she hugged his arm and kissed him on the cheek. He prayed silently for Tommy Shepherd to die.

**Eastern lowlands, Bolivia **

The mercenary bit his cigar and began to unload his HK submachine gun, unmoved by the jackhammer-like recoil. A barrage of high-velocity slugs was deflected just in time as Mina Kimura channeled the stored radiation in her body outward. Now wrapped in a tangible cocoon, she waited for the mercenary to release his next burst. Extending her slender arms in sync with his firing pattern, she expanded the cocoon to just in front of him. His barrage was reflected back; the rounds shredded through his neck like it was paper.

A wave of soldiers moved in on her position. Mina tagged the leader with a stream of concentrated radiation, hoping that the others would take the hint.

Unable to locate Stephanie, she took to the sky. The two had separated to divide their attackers, and in a fight, keeping track of a teleporter wasn't the easiest job in the world. Mina began flying along an unpaved roadway that led to the Brazilian border, where they had agreed to meet if things got out of hand.

The mercenaries were quite persistent. A pair of military trucks followed on the roadway, gunning for her with mounted machine turrets. They were either terrible shots or too far out of range, she didn't plan on asking which. A pulse ray catapulted from her hands, drilling into the ground beneath them. The trucks were clutched by a swirling mass of contorted earth that acted like a kind of superheated quicksand.

_Hmm, didn't know I could do that, _she thought.

**Stark Tower**

"I may be dying Eli, but I still know a fool when I see one."

Elijah was caught off guard by the remark. Anthony Stark was one of the few heroes he still looked up to, even in his current state. "I've always been foolish. You didn't have to call me here just to say it."

"I didn't. But while we're on the subject, what the hell are you still doing with Gina in public?"

"She's my wife, she goes where I go. Being a mutant doesn't change any of that."

"Three years of government legislation says it does. You know I have a signed request from the Department of Homeland Security to order a raid on your house? That's not exactly something I can tell them got lost in the mail."

"If you give that order Director, then you're a criminal, just like the ones we've got in the White House. Those fascists have legalized segregation, profiling, ghettos, internment camps, am I forgetting anything?"

"Yeah, you are. They had Xavier's School shut down nearly a year ago, forced the X-Men into hiding, and people like your wife and son are next."

Elijah wished he could turn back the clock, wished he had done more as The Patriot. Maybe he could've stopped all of this. Somehow Stark could see it in his eyes.

"There's not much I can do for your family Eli, unless you let me."

Elijah didn't believe him, though for a moment he wanted to. "What's your offer?"

"You won't admit it son, but I know some part of you wanted to be with us. Against Ares, when Hawkeye fell into that coma, you wanted to be an Avenger again. I'm hoping you still do, because it's the only way I can help your family."

"Cap won't have me, and you know that."

"You're not going to be working for Cap; you're going to be working for me. Legally, under those parameters, you and your family would be given immunity."

Elijah didn't know how to respond.

"You're still The Patriot, Eli. You're still a soldier, and a leader. Lead my Avengers. You'll be covert ops, not even the President will know you exist. And you'll be going up against some of those fascists you were mentioning earlier."

"Why? Why would you do that?"

Stark shrugged. "I'm just a man on his deathbed, trying to atone for his sins."

Processing what Stark had said, Elijah scanned his eyes for the faintest sign of deceit. There was none. "Swear to me that my wife and son will be protected, because if I do this, it's for them, not for you."

"I swear on my life. What little of it I have left, anyway."

Stark extended his hand. After a pause, Elijah took it, and Stark delivered one of his classic grins. "Now let's put this team together, shall we?"

**Continued in Secret Avengers 2027 -Issue #2-**


	2. Issue 2

**Secret Avengers 2027 **

**-Issue #2– **

**Lamont's Diner, New Jersey **

Molly Hayes stifled a cough, cursing herself for not having called in sick. She could bench press an F-16, but somehow struggled with getting out of bed. Laziness played its part well, though she didn't let it for long. She couldn't.

_I'd like to see those crime fighters try juggling two kids and three jobs, _she often thought to herself.

Though she was single, she paid little attention to her appearance. She wore her hair up in a bandana and was a minimalist in terms of cosmetics, yet would still garner lingering looks from her customers.

As she finished wiping down a table, one of Molly's co-workers approached her.

"Hey M, there's a black guy out front says he's a friend of yours, I didn't know you had cute guy friends."

"That's because I don't."

"Oh. Well, want me to find out who he is?"

She grew curious, "No, it's OK. Mind covering for me a sec?"

"Sure, just don't do anything sinful."

Molly giggled on her way out. Elijah Bradley was waiting for her outside of Lamont's, she barely recognized him under his black baseball cap.

"You just missed the pancake special, loser," she joked.

"And apparently I'm just in time for the Molly Hayes comedy routine."

She smacked him on the arm before giving him an overdue hug.

"It's been forever Eli. Where's Gina? I thought she wanted to see my new job."

"Well she does, but she said I have to test out the food first. In case it might be hazardous."

"She's so picky with food that I almost believe that."

They both laughed, nearly enough to mask the potency of their attraction for one another. It had never really gone away, even when Elijah married Gina. They simply pretended not to notice it, which was all they really could do.

The brief pause was all Molly needed to spot the intensity in Elijah's eyes. She was a keen enough woman to know that behind his visit lie a motive.

"I need to talk to you about something, when is your shift over?"

"Two-thirty, and then I've got to pick my boys up from school."

"Oh."

"Look, we're both here now, so just tell me what you came for."

For a second Elijah hesitated to make the offer. It was hard to say anything at all; the blue transparency of her eyes grew endlessly hypnotic.

"Well, I'm doing some work for Tony Stark now. I want to recruit you for something."

"No." Her eyes turned to ice.

"Just wait a second," he gripped her arm gently. "M, listen; I'm asking you because if you say yes, you and your sons will receive lawful protection from anti-mutant policies. You'll be able to live wherever and however you want, with no repercussions."

"How is that even possible?"

"Stark's making it possible. He's dying, and he's using what time he has left to help the mutant community."

"I don't believe that."

"He's building a case against anti-mutant groups across the globe, and he's risking everything to make it happen. You can be a part of that, and your boys won't have to grow up being ashamed of who they are."

Molly didn't know what to think, and all she felt was vulnerable. "You don't understand. I've spent my whole life running, not wanting to be a hero."

"But you already are one, and I'm sure a lot of single mothers would agree with me.

She looked up at him, "Why do you want me to help?"

"Over the years you've only gotten stronger. Stark's files estimate that you could match She-Hulk at her prime, though your sense of humor rating isn't so hot."

She rolled her eyes at him.

Elijah grinned, though he felt he owed her a better explanation, "But more than that, I want this for you and your boys. Please, just think about it. If Gina or I don't hear form you by tomorrow night, we'll forget this conversation ever happened."

Molly fought back tears, not knowing why they were there in the first place. She punched Elijah's shoulder and laughed to relieve the tension in her throat. "I should get back to work. Is there anything else you need to ask me, soldier boy?"

"Yeah, is it too early for spaghetti?"

**The Brazilian Border**

Nightfall. The surrounding cliffs seemed to sway with the wind, stony features of each nook and cavern just vaguely hinted at by starlight. At the least, the cliffs provided a vantage point for spotting incoming soldiers.

Mina Kimura explored the terrain, hoping to repel the cold by keeping her limbs in motion. Flying was out of the question, as was irradiating to stay warm. Both required an energy source, and since Brazil had just lost the sun, her powers would be drained in a matter of minutes.

Keeping Stephanie out of her mind was impossible; she had been waiting for a sign for at least two hours. Had Steph abandoned her? She couldn't help feeling paranoid, but she wanted to know that Steph was alright nonetheless.

Her thoughts were interrupted by an approaching figure. The man was bestial and thickset, wearing gray armor that resembled stony animal hide and crowned with a pair of elongated horns.

"Hi there, little firefly," said the brute. "Pardon me if I laugh, but only an amateur could be this easy to track down."

"I'm no amateur," Mina replied, scoffing. "You may have heard of my old wrecking crew, the X-Men. And for the record, the name's Gamma Girl."

"You can call me Kid Rhino."

"Eek, there's no way that's coming out of my mouth."

Kid Rhino drew near, "I hope that you'll reconsider once I teach you some respect."

"Whatever you say, babe. Can we fight now?"

Mina didn't wait for an answer. Instead she lashed out with an energy flare that struck the brute's eyes. The glaring radiation was both painful and effective; he reeled backwards partially blinded.

Collecting himself, Kid Rhino charged wildly. Mina floated with grace to avoid the attack, but could feel her powers leaving her. Growing desperate, she decided to attempt the trick she had used against the military trucks just hours prior. She seared the rock below Kid Rhino, managing to ensnare his legs in makeshift magma.

Her powers depleted, Mina ran as fast as she could. Kid Rhino's screams became mere echoes as she scaled down the unforgiving clusters of rock. Her labored breathing masked the sound of rotor blades overhead, as armored mercenaries descended from a stealth helicopter. A hellish spotlight focused in on her position, allowing the soldiers to close in.

She was as good as dead.

**Continued in Secret Avengers 2027 –Issue #3-**


End file.
